Inspire The awe-inspiring story of an ordinary man with extraordinary conviction and grit. Meet the man behind one of India’s legendary brands. By: Heer. P. Kothari here are achievers… and there are Tachievers… However, few manage to leave an imprint which is impossible to obscure because of their sheer strength of character and conviction. One such is Dr. Verghese Kurien, ex- chairman of GCMMF Ltd (Amul) and best-known as the ‘Milkman of India’. According to Dr. Kurien, ‘If one does not dream, how will he/she dare? And if they won’t dare… how will they know who are they, and what are they capable of?’ Operation Amul Dr. Kurien impressed a new conduit for the farmers of this country. Using the name, Making ‘Operation Flood’, he very effectively empowered the farmers of Anand district in Gujarat, organising them of a Legend and helping them gain control over milk production, MARCH 2010 elite life 43 procurement and marketing. been instrumental in securing the One of the ways in which he livelihood of several villages across accomplished this is by allowing the country. These co-operative tasks to be managed by qualified units have not only been a source professionals while letting the of assured employment and farmers lay down all the rules, competitive advantage, but their in the process, totally ruling out success has instilled a great deal money-grubbing middlemen. The of confidence and self-esteem model was a runaway success among the rural people. Amul so much so that Dr. Kurien was has also played an intrinsic part in asked by the then Prime Minister women’s empowerment, providing of India, Lal Bahadur Shastri, to occupation to millions of women in replicate it all over the country. In many competitive brands flooding Gujarat. For the girl child, Amul has this manner, Dr. Kurien became the market, Amul awaits the been synonymous with the cause the chairman of the National future with renewed vigour and of education and consequent Dairy Development Board zeal. “Amul knows the ‘Taste of emancipation. (NDDB), with its headquarters India’ and hence, it will retain a at Anand, and a household certain quality that our people Eye on the future name throughout India. And in cherish, and will continue making With a rise in consumer due course, India beat the US their experience with dairy expectations, Amul too has and became the country that products ‘an AMUL (wonderful) witnessed a quantum leap in produced the maximum quantity experience!,” explains R.S. Sodhi, growth and development. Apart of milk. Chief General Manager of GCMMF from stirring the white revolution So successful was the Amul model that Dr. Kurien was told to replicate it all over the country. Secret Ingredient Ltd (Amul) India. Amul is one of in the country, the company If one looks back, the secret the only Indian dairy bands to has seen the birth of not only ingredient behind the success of be marketed overseas as well. dairy-based products but also Amul is none other than the strong Indeed, their export revenue has a variety of Indian delicacies, dictum of ‘Brand Power’ that crossed the 100 crores mark. If low-fat milk and milk-products Dr. Kurien fostered. In his 2005 at all proof is needed, the Amul and more. “Innovation cannot be Annual Meeting speech, Dr. Kurien co-operative strategy is used mandated or forced out of people. famously said, “A cooperative in modules by management It is everywhere, a function of without a ‘brand’ can never aspire students across the country. the quality of people and the to survive, let alone thrive, while environment,” says Dr. Kurien. marketing commodities in today’s Mother of Corporate And, as the company comes competitive environment.” Social Responsibility up with newer, better products, It could be easily said of Amul that it becomes imperative for the Also, we must not forget that here’s a brand which initiated the company to hire even more Amul was the only brand that very concept of Corporate Social skilled professionals. This in turn lucratively produced milk powder Responsibility (CSR). After all, the has ensured brand loyalty over out of buffalo’s milk, while other brand is built around the concept the years. The company’s sole national dairies continued to of rural empowerment. True, Amul aim now, is to work on quality– do so using cow’s milk. It’s the has actively participated in the “making it better”. Of course, by same with Amul’s other dairy lives of villagers. By creating co- “making it better”, Amul continues products. Today, in spite of the operative units, the company has to become “bigger”. 44 elite life MARCH 2010.